After Gattaca
by Someone Else
Summary: What happens when "Jerome" gets to space?


SPACE, GATTACA SHIP  
  
(NARROW HALLWAY. Lockers and a computer console line the walls. Save for an indicator on the console saying that it is on, there is no activity.)  
  
MAN (offscreen): And I want to know WHY he's been sleeping on the job for the past three days!  
  
WOMAN (starts offscreen, comes floating onscreen, towards camera): Well, we'll just have to ask him. He can't be sick or something, can he, Bob?  
  
ROBERT (floating behind WOMAN, now onscreen): I don't know. But I'm getting the feeling he might not be cut out for this after all, Joanna.  
  
JOANNA: Bob, you saw his profile.. I don't know. Let's talk to him. (JOANNA floats past camera as ROBERT approaches it)  
  
ROBERT: Jerome!  
  
(CUT to main window of spaceship, with high-powered sensory equipment controls below the 50' by 10' window. JEROME MORROW is sitting at one of those consoles.)  
  
(The camera ZOOMS IN and JEROME is clearly seen eating two CAFFEINE PILLS, desperately trying to stay awake.)  
  
ROBERT: Jerome! Jerome, what the fuck is wrong with you?  
  
JOANNA (glancing sharply at ROBERT): Bob! (moving towards Jerome, more quietly) Jerome, if there's a problem, you have to tell us about it. We're all in this mission together. What's wrong?  
  
JEROME (a bit defensive): Nothing. No problems. Nothing's wrong.  
  
ROBERT (holding his temper): Jerome, you've looked a bit haggard these past few days, you fell asleep a couple of times, and your profile tells us you can do this. We have to know what's going on.  
  
JEROME (turning chair around, worry showing behind his eyes): It's nothing, really. I won't do that again. It's your shift, Bob. Joanna, I'd like to see the area report when you're done with it.  
  
(As JEROME gets out of the chair and pushes against it to gain momentum in the zero gravity, ROBERT inadvertently runs his fingers from JEROME's knee downwards.)  
  
ROBERT (suspicion drawing on his face): Hey.. wait a minute.  
  
(ROBERT's hand lashes out and grabs JEROME's leg.)  
  
JOANNA: Bob?  
JEROME (very worried): What are you doing?  
ROBERT: If I'm right...  
  
(ROBERT proceeds to use his sense of touch to inspect JEROME's lower legs behind his flight suit, as JEROME holds onto a nearby support pillar.)  
  
JEROME: Hey, what is this?  
ROBERT: I thought so. Joanna! Check it out.  
  
(JOANNA grabs the squirming JEROME's lower legs and proceeds to inspect them as ROBERT had.)  
  
JOANNA: You had surgery? That wasn't in your profile...  
ROBERT: More than that. I've had my suspicions this whole time.  
JEROME (paranoid, extremely defensive): Hey.. what are you saying?  
JOANNA (realization creeping up on her face): You mean he's.. but that means...  
ROBERT: That's right, Joanna. This guy is NOT Jerome Morrow. (To JEROME, pulling on his leg to get in his face) Who are you?  
JEROME (realizing that he's trapped): V-Vincent. Vincent Antonio Luca.  
ROBERT (sitting at console, checking computer records): Vincent, let's see... oh, yeah. THAT'S who you are.  
  
(A series of other SPACE TRAVELERS come onscreen. They appear to be very annoyed by the noise level.)  
MAN: What's this all about?  
ROBERT: This guy made himself look like Jerome Morrow. He's been duping the whole damn project the whole time!  
  
(The SPACE TRAVELERS are shocked and surprised, but seeing the guilty look on VINCENT's face, come to the realization that ROBERT is telling the truth.)  
  
OTHER MAN: Great. Now what do we do?  
WOMAN: We have backups.. someone could take his place..  
MAN: And leave him here to eat resources?  
  
(All of the SPACE TRAVELERS' heads turn and focus on VINCENT LUCA.)  
  
VINCENT: Hey, wait.. (VINCENT looks at the console and moves towards it.) I'm calling the-  
  
(VINCENT's speech is interrupted by JOANNA's elbow smashing him in the side of the head. ROBERT yanks him away from the console and PUNCHES him in the face, causing blood loss in the zero gravity.)  
  
MAN: You son of a bitch.. this is a billion-dollar mission here.. and you're gonna FUCK this thing up with your problems?!  
  
VINCENT (crying): I just wanted to go to space..  
  
ROBERT: You just wanted to go to space. At the expense of EVERYONE's hard work and the SAFETY of this mission, you just wanted to go to space.  
  
(ROBERT pulls his left hand back, clenches the fingers, and examines the palm carefully.)  
  
ROBERT: YOU SON OF A BITCH!!  
  
(ROBERT's hand goes FULL FORCE into VINCENT's lower nose, pushing it upwards into his brain with a SNAP.)  
  
OTHER MAN: Looks like I'm on full-time duty after all.  
  
JOANNA: I'll call the station and say it was an accident. The rest of you, back to sleep.  
  
(The SPACE TRAVELERS gradually disperse.)  
  
JOANNA: John (referring to OTHER MAN), you're taking his position, you take him down to the farms.  
  
JOHN (reaching for VINCENT's body): On it!  
  
JOANNA: We potentially just averted a major crisis here..  
  
ROBERT: Glad we caught him now instead of later.  
  
(FADE OUT)  
  
(FADE IN to HYDROPONICS LAB, focusing on FOOD PLANTS. FOOD PLANTS are dripping with moisture gained from SPRINKLERS ABOVE. After two seconds, cue HISSING SOUND from SPRINKLERS. A FINE RED SPRAY drips onto the FOOD PLANTS.)  
  
(FADE OUT) 


End file.
